The effect of cooperative and individualistic learning experiences on positive and negative cross-handicap relationships

The effects of cooperative and individualistic learning contingencies on interpersonal attraction, social acceptability, and self-esteem between handicapped and nonhandicapped fourth-grade students were tracked and compared. Sixty-nine students were assigned to conditions on a stratified random basis controlling for handicap, sex, and age. They participated in the study for 45 min a day for 54 instructional days during science class. Nonhandicapped peer ratings of the social acceptability of each handicapped student and several attitude measures were obtained four separate times at 18-day intervals. The results indicate that continued use of cooperative learning contingencies promote positive growth in interpersonal attraction, social acceptability, and self-esteem between handicapped and nonhandicapped students. The results also indicate that when cooperative learning contingencies are replaced with individualized learning contingencies, decay in the above-mentioned variables occurs.     

The integration of the handicapped into the regular classroom: Effects of cooperative and individualistic instruction

The effects of cooperative and individualistic learning experiences on interpersonal attraction between handicapped and nonhandicapped fourth-grade students were compared. Fifty-one students were assigned to conditions on a stratified random basis controlling for handicap, ability, and sex. Students participated in one instructional unit for 45 min a day for 16 instructional days. Behavioral measures were taken for cross-handicapped interaction within the instructional situation, during daily free-time periods, and during a postexperimental problem-solving situation with new peers. A number of attitude measures were also given. The results indicate that cooperative learning experiences, compared with individualistic ones, promote more cross-handicapped interaction during both instructional and free-time situations and more interpersonal attraction between handicapped and nonhandicapped students.     

Implementing Cooperative Learning with Mildly Handicapped Students in Regular Classrooms

THE LITERATURE on cooperative learning suggests it can benefit mildly handicapped and nonhandicapped students academically, socially, and emotionally. This article emphasizes the cooperative learning approaches of Johnson and Johnson, Slavin, and other closely related practitioners. It discusses salient research on cooperative learning, shows how it can help meet student needs in heterogeneous classes, addresses how to overcome potential problems, and offers implementation guidelines. It also provides a framework for initiating cooperative learning in ways that reduce or eliminate resistance.     

Effects of single-sex and mixed-sex cooperative interaction on science achievement and attitudes and cross-handicap and cross-sex relationships

Single-sex cooperative, mixed-sex cooperative, and individualistic learning situations were compared to determine if they promoted systematic differences in relationships between male and female students and handicapped and nonhandicapped students. One-hundred-fifty-four 5th-and 6th-grade students were assigned to conditions on a stratified random basis controlling for ability, sex, grade level, homerooms, and handicap. They participated in a study for 45 minutes a day for 21 days in science class. The results indicate that cooperative learning situations, compared with individualistic ones, promoted more positive cross-sex and cross-handicap relationships. Males achieved higher and had more positive attitudes toward science than did females.     

Academic self-concept and teachers' perceptions of normal,mentally retarded,and learning disabled elementary students

The self-concepts of educable mentally impaired, learning disabled, and nonhandicapped children were assessed using the Student Self-Evaluation (SSE), Teacher Evaluation Scale (TES), and How I See Myself (HISM) test. A Groups × Age × Sex analysis of covariance, with IQ effects statistically controlled, was computed for each measure. On the SSE, the groups were significantly different, with nonhandicapped students having better self-concepts than learning disabled students, and learning disabled students having better self-concepts than educable mentally impaired students. Teacher estimates of self-concept (TES) indicated that nonhandicapped students have better self-concepts than have handicapped students. For the HISM scores, there was a Group × Sex interaction, but no significant main effects; there was no consistent pattern to the interactions. The results suggest that handicapped children, as a group, have a lower self-concept than have nonhandicapped children. Implications for educational programming and future research are offered.     

Impact of a full‐time integrated program on the achievement of nonhandicapped and mildly handicapped children

Abstract

We compared achievement gains of mildly handicapped and nonhandicapped third graders in a full‐time integrated program, Team Approach to Mastery (TAM), with gains of similar students in regular classrooms and resource‐room programs. Comparisons of residualized gain scores on the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills showed that nonhandicapped students made substantially greater gains in full‐time integrated TAM classrooms than both mildly handicapped students in the same classrooms and nonhandicapped students in regular classrooms. Although mildly handicapped students in integrated TAM classrooms tended to experience greater gains than students in resource rooms, differences were significant only in math. Overall, results indicated the effectiveness of the TAM model, particularly when achievement gains of nonhandicapped and mildly handicapped students are contrasted with those reported in a more popular, and complex, integrated classroom model.     

Peer Learning and Assessment

Various forms of peer, collaborative or cooperative learning, particularly small group activities, are increasingly used within university courses to assist students meet a variety of learning outcomes. These include working collaboratively with others, taking responsibility for their own learning and deepening their understanding of specific course content. The potential benefits of peer learning have long been recognised and are especially relevant today. However, many existing assessment practices act to undermine the goals of peer learning and lead students to reject learning cooperatively. If assessment gives students the message that only individual achievement is valued, and that collaborative effort is akin to cheating, then the potential of peer learning will not be realised. Inappropriate assessment practices may also lead to unhelpful forms of competition within and between groups that prevent groups functioning effectively. This paper examines some of the main assessment issues in connection with peer learning and suggests ways in which the benefits of this approach can be maintained while still meeting the formal assessment requirements of the course. It discusses the use of group assessment, peer feedback and self‐assessment, assessment of participation and negotiated assessment and concludes with the identification of a number of issues which remain to be addressed.     

Us Against Them: A Few Thoughts on Separateness

MANOVAs and ANOVAs were used to compare nonhandicapped children; low interacting children who were not diagnosed as handicapped; and children who were mildly retarded, behaviorally disordered, developmentally delayed, orthopedically handicapped, and speech impaired on social competence measures that included behavior observations and adult and peer ratings. Following significant ANOVAs, paired comparisons were made between each group and every other group. On several of the social competence measures, nonhandicapped and speech impaired children were superior to low interacting, behaviorally disordered, and developmentally delayed children. The other handicapped groups did not differ from the nonhandicapped or from one another, except that the orthopedically handicapped children had more social interactions than the low interactors did.     

Social Competence in Nonhandicapped, Low Interacting, and Five Handicapped Groups of Preschoolers

MANOVAs and ANOVAs were used to compare nonhandicapped children; low interacting children who were not diagnosed as handicapped; and children who were mildly retarded, behaviorally disordered, developmentally delayed, orthopedically handicapped, and speech impaired on social competence measures that included behavior observations and adult and peer ratings. Following significant ANOVAs, paired comparisons were made between each group and every other group. On several of the social competence measures, nonhandicapped and speech impaired children were superior to low interacting, behaviorally disordered, and developmentally delayed children. The other handicapped groups did not differ from the nonhandicapped or from one another, except that the orthopedically handicapped children had more social interactions than the low interactors did.     

基于项目式学习的同伴在线协作学习活动设计与应用研究

近年来,基于项目的协作学习研究主要集中在项目式学习的模型、程序、分组、策略、优缺点等方面,在项目式同伴协作在线学习过程中,学生如何通过自我调节和共享调节来实现项目目标仍未得到充分研究。文章依据活动理论框架和协作学习中共享调节模型,通过设计持续时间8周的PBL同伴在线协作学习来组织教学活动,借助同伴评价表、自我报告调查表、团队项目成果评价表,进行自我调节和共享元认知调节对项目协作学习结果的影响研究。研究结果表明:自我调节和共享调节在PBL同伴在线协作学习中发挥着关键作用,有效的共享调节主要受到学习者自身强大的自我调节的支持,在共享调节的作用下,协作同伴之间相互影响,共同推进项目协作过程。     

Caregivers' Interactions With Nonhandicapped and Mainstreamed Handicapped Children in Caregiving and Instructional Activities

Head Start caregivers' positive-neutral and negative interactions with nonhandicapped and mainstreamed handicapped children were observed while they were engaged in activities categorized as caregiving and instructional. ANOVAS with repeated measures indicated that caregivers had higher interaction rates, both positive-neutral and negative, with handicapped than with nonhandicapped children. The higher positive-neutral interaction rate occurred in both instructional and caregiving situations. The higher negative interaction rate occurred only in caregiving situations. Correlations indicated that caregivers' patterns of interaction were different with the handicapped and the nonhandicapped children and that the type of activity influenced the pattern of interactions. Significant correlations between negative interaction rates with handicapped and nonhandicapped children and between negative interaction rates with all children in instructional and caregiving situations suggested that negative interaction generalizes across activities and types of children.     

The development of science activities via on-line peer assessment: the role of scientific epistemological views

This study implemented an online peer assessment learning module to help 36 college students with the major of pre-school education to develop science activities for future instruction. Each student was asked to submit a science activity project for pre-school children, and then experienced three rounds of peer assessment. The effects of the online peer assessment module on student learning were examined, and the role of Scientific Epistemological Views (SEVs) in the learning process was carefully investigated. This study found that student peers displayed valid scoring that was consistent with an expert’s marks. Through the online peer assessment, the students could enhance the design of science activities for future instruction; for instance, the science activities became more creative, science-embedded, feasible and more suitable for the developmental stage of pre-school children. More importantly, students with more sophisticated (constructivist-oriented) SEVs tended to progress significantly more for designing science activities with more fun, higher creativity and greater relevancy to scientific knowledge, implying that learners with constructivist-oriented SEVs might benefit more from the online peer assessment learning process. These students also tended to offer more feedback to their peers, and much of the peer feedback provided by these students was categorized as guiding or helping peers to carefully appraise and plan their science activity projects. This study finally suggested that an appropriate understanding regarding the constructivist epistemology may be a prerequisite for utilizing peer assessment learning activities in science education.     

Caregivers' Interactions With Nonhandicapped and Mainstreamed Handicapped Children in Caregiving and Instructional Activities

Head Start caregivers' positive-neutral and negative interactions with nonhandicapped and mainstreamed handicapped children were observed while they were engaged in activities categorized as caregiving and instructional. ANOVAS with repeated measures indicated that caregivers had higher interaction rates, both positive-neutral and negative, with handicapped than with nonhandicapped children. The higher positive-neutral interaction rate occurred in both instructional and caregiving situations. The higher negative interaction rate occurred only in caregiving situations. Correlations indicated that caregivers' patterns of interaction were different with the handicapped and the nonhandicapped children and that the type of activity influenced the pattern of interactions. Significant correlations between negative interaction rates with handicapped and nonhandicapped children and between negative interaction rates with all children in instructional and caregiving situations suggested that negative interaction generalizes across activities and types of children.     

Peer‐mediated instruction: assisted performance in the primary classroom

Peer collaboration has been supported in research as an effective instructional strategy. However, education researchers lack a full understanding of the types of scaffolding that take place in peer groups. Little research is available that documents what happens during the small group interactions. This case study took place in one teacher’s multi‐age primary classroom in the southeastern region of the USA. It examined how elementary students provided scaffolding to one another during collaborative classroom activities. Specifically, this investigation explored the ways in which elementary students provide assistance to one another during academic tasks and examined the status of the children, in terms of more or less capabilities, during the collaborative events. Vygotsky asserts that for learning to occur, assistance must be provided by a more capable person. The research findings suggest that peers provide scaffolding for one another in various ways. In this investigation, these primary students utilized questioning, providing feedback, and instructing as the primary methods of scaffolding during the learning experiences. This study also supports assertions that when students are allowed to pose questions and provide feedback to one another during peer collaboration, they help to establish instruction in their zone of proximal development.     

Effect of cooperative learning strategies on student verbal interactions and achievement during conceptual change instruction in 10th grade general science

This study evaluated the effects of cooperative learning on students' verbal interaction patterns and achievement in a conceptual change instructional model in secondary science. Current conceptual change instructional models recognize the importance of student–student verbal interactions, but lack specific strategies to encourage these interactions. Cooperative learning may provide the necessary strategies. Two sections of low-ability 10th-grade students were designated the experimental and control groups. Students in both sections received identical content instruction on the particle model of matter using conceptual change teaching strategies. Students worked in teacher-assigned small groups on in-class assignments. The experimental section used cooperative learning strategies involving instruction in collaborative skills and group evaluation of assignments. The control section received no collaborative skills training and students were evaluated individually on group work. Gains on achievement were assessed using pre- and posttreatment administrations of an investigator-designed short-answer essay test. The assessment strategies used in this study represent an attempt to measure conceptual change. Achievement was related to students' ability to correctly use appropriate scientific explanations of events and phenomena and to discard use of naive conceptions. Verbal interaction patterns of students working in groups were recorded on videotape and analyzed using an investigator-designed verbal interaction scheme. The targeted verbalizations used in the interaction scheme were derived from the social learning theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. It was found that students using cooperative learning strategies showed greater achievement gains as defined above and made greater use of specific verbal patterns believed to be related to increased learning. The results of the study demonstrated that cooperative learning strategies enhance conceptual change instruction. More research is needed to identify the specific variables mediating the effects of cooperative learning strategies on conceptual change learning. The methods employed in this study may provide some of the tools for this research.     

Support of the collaborative inquiry learning process: influence of support on task and team regulation

Regulation of the learning process is an important condition for efficient and effective learning. In collaborative learning, students have to regulate their collaborative activities (team regulation) next to the regulation of their own learning process focused on the task at hand (task regulation). In this study, we investigate how support of collaborative inquiry learning can influence the use of regulative activities of students. Furthermore, we explore the possible relations between task regulation, team regulation and learning results. This study involves tenth-grade students who worked in pairs in a collaborative inquiry learning environment that was based on a computer simulation, Collisions, developed in the program SimQuest. Students of the same team worked on two different computers and communicated through chat. Chat logs of students from three different conditions are compared. Students in the first condition did not receive any support at all (Control condition). In the second condition, students received an instruction in effective communication, the RIDE rules (RIDE condition). In the third condition, students were, in addition to receiving the RIDE rules instruction, supported by the Collaborative Hypothesis Tool (CHT), which helped the students with formulating hypotheses together (CHT condition). The results show that students overall used more team regulation than task regulation. In the RIDE condition and the CHT condition, students regulated their team activities most often. Moreover, in the CHT condition the regulation of team activities was positively related to the learning results. We can conclude that different measures of support can enhance the use of team regulative activities, which in turn can lead to better learning results.     

大学英语写作合作性学习研究

大学英语写作教学应以合作学习理论为基础,将分组讨论、同伴反馈、组内互评、组间互评等一系列合作学习方式引入课堂内外的学习过程,构建以教师为主导、学生为主体的课堂教学模式,提高大学英语写作教学效果。     

The effects of cooperative learning in a physical science course for elementary/middle level preservice teachers

Although many studies have shown the effectiveness of cooperative learning in a variety of settings in grades K–12, relatively few have focused on higher education. This study compared two physical science laboratory sections in a course for elementary/middle level preservice teachers. One section was taught in the traditional method, and the other was instructed using the Learning Together technique of cooperative learning. Comparisons between the two laboratory sections assessed any differences in student achievement and collaborative skills. In addition, the cooperative learning group completed a questionnaire that assessed their perception of the effectiveness of cooperative learning compared to more traditional methods of instruction, and their attitudes toward the laboratory section. Although no significant differences were observed in achievement, the cooperative learning group exhibited significant gains in collaborative skills. By the end of the course, cooperative learning students indicated a high comfort level for the laboratory.     

Including the kids across the hall: collaborative instruction of hearing, deaf, and hard-of-hearing students

This study follows graduate interns and their cooperating teachers through a collaborative student teaching experience in D/HH and hearing classrooms at the same grade level. Teacher teams, enrolled in a graduate course on collaboration, designed and conducted collaborative instruction (K-junior high school level), which focused on cooperative learning activities. Measures included student evaluations and separate intern and teacher evaluations of student performance, the integrated instructional units, and professional collaboration. Student evaluations included positive responses to integrated instruction by both groups, though there was more trepidation expressed by some D/HH students. Teachers reported very positive outcomes for all students including increased motivation to learn about and to interact with the other group and, for D/HH students, an increase in socially and academically appropriate behaviors. Specific student needs for training prior to integrated experiences were noted. Teachers stressed the importance of topic selections that would involve the expertise of all participants equally, needs for teacher in-service training and, administrative support for collaborative planning.     

Cooperative Learning and Literacy: A Meta-Analytic Review

Abstract

We conducted a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of cooperative and collaborative learning to support enhanced literacy outcomes. Interventions considered were provided in regular education settings (i.e., not pull-out instruction) with students from Grades 2 through 12. Reviewing more than 30 years of literacy research, we located 18 intervention studies with 29 study cohorts. Included studies primarily used standardized assessments to report on students’ reading, vocabulary, or comprehension achievement, which we analyzed separately. Overall, students had significantly higher literacy achievement scores when instructional interventions utilized cooperative and collaborative activity structures. The overall weighted mean effect sizes ranged from 0.16 to 0.22 (p < .01) with more than 94% of the point estimates being positive. Because cooperative or collaborative learning was always one of multiple intervention components, it was impossible to estimate the unique, added effects of cooperative/collaborative learning. Although the small number of eligible studies precludes any claims about the effectiveness of specific forms of grouping and the circumstances under which programs have more impact, our findings suggest that cooperative and collaborative grouping was a core component of effective literacy interventions, particularly at the elementary level.